Lift truck paper roll handling attachment



April 1, 1969 S ELDIC-KEYH 3,435 973- v I LIFT TRUCK PAPER ROLL HANb INGATTACHMENT I Filed April 10-, 1967 A {W i 24' I A -34 A Sidney E. DickegI I 0 2 20 r I BY I INVENTOR 1 J @Z A Fig. 5. I A [1 United StatesPatent Office 3,435,973 Patented Apr. 1, 1969 US. Cl. 214-620 4 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper roll handling attachment for lifttrucks equipped with a pair of outwardly projecting forks comprises apair of sleeves sized to slip over the ends of the forks and a pair ofconcavely arcuate lift pads. Pivotal mounting means mount the pads onthe ends of the sleeves, with the curved surfaces of the pads arrangedopposite each other in an arc corresponding to the curvature of theouter surface of the paper roll. Limit means interconnect the pads andthe sleeves for limiting the pivotal movement of the pads betweensubstantially horizontal and substantially vertical positions.

This invention relates to a lift truck paper roll handling attachment.It relates further to a method for upending large, heavy rolls of paper.

In the transportation, storage and use of newsprint and other largerolls of paper, which may weigh upwardly of a ton, it frequently isnecessary to change the position of the rolls from a horizontal positionto a vertical position. This is true, for instance, in loading the rollsinto the holds of ships.

In this operation the rolls normally are stored in a horizontal positionin the warehouse adjacent the pier. When the ship is to be loaded, therolls must be upended one at a time, placed singly on pallets, and thencarried into the holds of the ship by means of lift trucks, the forks ofwhich are inserted beneath the pallet.

This is a difficult procedure and presently requires a roll over grab.As the name implies, this device grabs the roll centrally, lifts it,twists it 90, and sets it down. Such apparatus is not always availableat the pier when needed, resulting in delays. Furthermore, it is costlyand its use frequently damages the paper rolls, causing additional loss.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a simpleattachment for use on a conventional lift truck which enables picking upthe rolls one at a time, transporting them to the desired location, andcontemporaneously upending them and depositing them on pallets or othersupporting surfaces.

The foregoing sequence of method operations is effectuated by anattachment which, basically considered, comprises a pair of sleevesdimensioned to be slipped over the ends of the forks of a conventionallift truck, and a pair of concavely arcuate lift pads having a curvaturecorresponding to the curvature of the paper roll to be handled. Pivotalmounting means mount the pads on top of the sleeves, at the endsthereof, with the curved surfaces of the pads arranged opposite eachother. Limit means associated with the pads limit their pivotal angularmovement between horizontal and vertical positions.

Thus by inserting the pads beneath opposite sides of the roll, to apoint beyond its center of gravity, it is possible to lift the roll withthe lift truck, and transport it to the desired location. The forks thenmay be tilted to deposit the lower, leading edge of the roll on the nearmargin of the pallet.

Raising the forks tilts the roll until it topples forwardly onto thepallet. During this operation the pads slide along the surfaec of theroll and tilt to their vertical position where they are restrained bythe limit means. They then may be shifted to the horizontal position andthe truck returned to pick up another roll.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particularreference to the drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are views in plan, side elevation, and front elevation,respectively of the herein described lift truck paper roll handlingattachment; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating the application of theattachment to the upending of a large roll of paper.

As indicated hereinabove, and as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 of thedrawings, the presently described attachment is designed for use with aconventional lift truck 10 provided with forks 12 mounted in the usualmanner on a vertical hoist 14. The hoist is pivotally mounted near itslower end and hence can be tilted forwardly and rearwardly by means ofan hydraulic cylinder 16 or other suitable actuating device.

The presently described attachment comprises a pair of sleeves 20 made,for example, from welded metal plates and adapted to be slipped over theouter ends of the forks. They releasably may be secured in position bysuitable means such, as for example, set screws 22.

Also provided are a pair of lift pads 24, one for each sleeve. Thesecomprise arcuate plates having a smooth outer surface and a curvaturewhich rather closely corresponds to the curvature of the outer surfaceof the roll which they are to lift. They are of substantially length,being nearly as long as sleeves 20, and arranged so that they normallyextend in a plane parallel to the plane of the sleeves a sufficientdistance to project beyond the forward ends of the latter.

Pivotal mounting means are provided for mounting the pads on top of thesleeves, on the forward ends thereof.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the pivotal mounting meanscomprise clevises 26 extending outwardly from the forward ends of thesleeves substantially in the planes thereof to permit lowering the forkscompletely to the ground. Cooperating with the clevises are plates 28extending downwardly from the pads when the pads are in their horizontalposition. The plate are interleaved with the clevises and are penetratedwith pivot pins 30, thus permitting angular movement of the pads betweenlowered and raised positions, i.e., between the dotted line and fullline positions of FIG. 2.

It is to be noted that the pivotal mounting means are offset inwardlyfrom the medial longitudinal line of the pads in the manner particularlyapparent in FIG. 1.

Limit means are provided for limiting the angular movement of the padsso that they do not progress substantially beyond their verticalpositions. The limit means may comprise flexible connecting means, suchas chains 32. One end of the chains is fastened to the rearward ends ofthe pads; the other to the central portions of the sleeves. The twopoints of attachment thus are offset laterally from each other. This isof importance in the operation of the attachment since it preventsoverlapping of the chain links and hence insures that the pads will lieflat on the sleeves when they are in their horizontal position.

Brace means are present for bracing the pads and supporting them intheir predetermined positions, facing each other and with their concavesurfaces arranged as segments of an are which corresponds to the arc ofthe peripheral surface of the paper roll. The means employed for thispurpose comprise vertical support plates 34 welded to the undersides ofthe lift pads and extending substantially at right angles thereto.

The manner of use of the paper roll handling attachment of my inventionis illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

Assuming that it is wished to lift a heavy roll of paper 36, the sleeves20 are slipped over forks 12 of the lift truck and releasably anchoredin place by set screws 22.

With the forks in their lowered horizontal position, and with the liftpads 24 also in their lowered horizontal position, the forks and liftpads are slipped beneath the roll on opposite sides until the lift padsare placed forwardly of the center of gravity of the roll, indicated bydashed line 38 of FIG. 4.

The forks then are raised to give sufiicient clearance and, with theroll still in its horizontal position, or tilted slightly rearwardly,transported to the desired location. Assuming that the roll is to bedeposited on a pallet 40, the lift truck is maneuvered until the leadinlower edge of the roll overlies the near upper margin of the pallet. Theforks then are tilted forwardly and downwardly until contact is made.This is the position of FIG. 4.

The forks then slowly are levelled and elevated, with the result thatthe roll tilts, in a clockwise direction, until it becomes overbalancedand drops a short distance to its vertical rest position of FIG. 5.During this movement, lift pads 24 move angularly about pivot pin 30,also in a clockwise direction, as required to apply controlling pressureto the side of the roll. Upon conclusion of this sequence the lift truckis backed off, and the pads dropped to their horizontal position, readyto move another roll.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is to be taken as an illustrative example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A paper roll handling attachment for lift trucks equipped with a pairof laterally spaced, outwardly projecting forks, the attachmentcomprising:

(a) a pair of separate sleeves dimensioned for slipping over the ends ofthe forks,

(b) releasable lock means for releasably securing each sleeve to itsassociated fork,

(c) a pair of concavely arcuate lift pads one associated with eachsleeve and having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the rollto be handled, and

(d) pivotal mounting means mounting each pad on the outer end of itsassociated sleeve for pivotal movement of the pads on a horizontal axisbetween a horizontal position overlying the sleeves for supporting apaper roll horizontally between the laterally spaced pads and a verticalposition forwardly of and substantially normal to the sleeves fordepositing the paper roll vertically, the curved surfaces of the padbeing arranged facing each other and forming laterally spaced arcuatesegments substantially corresponding to the arc of the paper roll.

2. The paper roll handling attachment of claim 1 wherein the pivotalmounting means comprise tongue and clevis means mounted respectively onthe sleeves and the undersides of the pads in the plane of the sleeves,and pivot pin means penetrating the tongue and clevis means.

3. The paper roll handling attachment of claim 1 including limit meansinterengaging the sleeves and pads for limiting the pivotal movement ofthe pads between substantially horizontal and substantially verticalpositions.

4. The paper roll handling attachment of claim 1 wherein the pads arespaced apart laterally a distance substantially less than the diameterdescribed by their arcuate curvature.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,833,764 11/1931 Tremblay et al.

2,011,656 8/1935 Sill 214704 2,803,363 8/1957 Hutchinson.

2,827,189 3/1958 Knudstrup 214620 3,071,268 1/1963 Wales 21462O3,307,724 3/1967 Miller 21462O X 3,319,815 5/1967 Vik 214-620 GERALD M.FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

